Marking apparatus



Sept. 13, 1938. s. KAUFFMAN ET AL 2,130,188

MARKING APPARATUS Filed May '7, 1936 a Sheets-Sheet 1 grwcm tow R GGQDoss Sept. 13, 1938;

s. KAUFFMAN ET'AL MARKING APPARATUS Filed May 7, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 awe/whom G. G. Doss S. Kauffman Cum/ms l, n I l I I I I'll/L- Illll Patented Sept. 13, 1938 MARKING APPARATUS Saul .Kauffrnan and George G. Doss, Syracuse, N. Y.

Applicaticn May 7, 1936, Serial No. 78,499

8 Claims.

This'invention appertains to apparatus forembossing, impressing, stamping, or otherwise marking workpieces, and more particularly, to an improved device commonly known as a press, which is'primarily adapted for use in embossing and marking leather, such as shoe parts, glove parts, purses, hatbands, and the like. Other and various applications of the invention will become readilyapparent as the description proceeds, and lOit-is to be understood that there is nointention that the illustrative examples hereinafter referred to be taken as restrictive of the general utility of the invention. For the sake of brevity, reference will primarily be made to the applical tion'of our new and improved apparatus to the shoe manufacturing industry, which is one of the largest fields of'practical use thereof, but there are numerous other fields in which the apparatus can be used to great advantage, notably, in the 20 printing-or marking of guide lines and designs,

- upon rubber, cloth and other fabrics, and even metals and various compositions of a metallic, fibrous or other nature.

Now in the shoe manufacturing industry, it

if is very desirable and frequently necessary to provide guide marksor lines on the various leather parts so that the assembly thereof can be speedily effectedwithout sacrificing neatness and uniformityofthe finished product. Heretofore, the

30 producing of guide lines and the like upon the leather has been accomplished principally by either piercing the leather with'a series of prick punches, or by making impressions in the leather, or'by'stamping the leather with an ink stamp.

3:5 The first of these practices presents the disadvantage that the leather is more or less mutilated, due to the fact that the holes produced by the prick punches permanently remain in the leather.

The second of the above mentioned practices, that 4.4): is, marking by making impressions in the leather, is frequently ineffective for the reason that the impressions are not always readily discernible,

especially when the leather in which the impressionis made has a rough surface. The third i -.method requires a more or less complicated apparatus when adapted for factory production work, the complications arising in the application of the ink to the marking pattern or die. All of the aforementioned old practices are par- "ticularly ineifective when Working on the raw or unfinished side of a piece of leather,

One of the-primary objects of the present invention is toprovide a simple, rugged, efficient and relatively inexpensive apparatus, by means of which various shoe parts or other workpieces can'be effectively marked in a more discernible manner, and which is readily adaptable to the performance of an impression or embossing operation, such as in producing imitation stitching, perforations, etc., the markings being pro- 5 duced in colors or not, as desired.

A still further object of the invention is toprovide in an apparatusof this character, a suitable control whereby the permanency and/or discernibility of the markings may be varied as desired, whether they be in the form' of impressions or merely ink or other coloring matter, or combinations of both, such. control being preferably afforded with the aid of heat.

Another object of the invention is toprovide T3 an apparatus wherein provision is made for a quick changing from one type of marking to-another type, as for example, in changing from an embossing or impressing type of marking toa purely printing type of marlnng, or vice versa; or to combinations of the two types.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for adjustably locating the workpieces in the press so that the embossing or marking of such work- :1.) pieces willbe performed thereon at the proper points and with greater precision than has been heretofore practiced, such adjustability being particularly advantageous in working on shoe parts and the like of various sizes and different types.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for producing embossing or plain markings in colors, such mechanism preferably embodying a color-carrying medium such as a strip of carbon or other copying paper, ribbon, or the like, which is arranged to coact with the embossing or marking dies'so' as to produce a transfer of the color from the strip to the'workpiece with whatever degree of 40 prominence of the color is desired.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:--

Figure 1 is a top plan view of our improved marking device or press, the same being illus trated in its closed position;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View, taken approximately midway between the ends or" the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus of Figure 1, taken approximately H midway between the front and back sides;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figures 1. to 3 inclusive, but showing the same in the open position and a shoe part or other workpiece positioned therein, a portion of the carbon orcopying strip being broken away to expose the marking die which is carried by the movable head of the machine, and which served to produce the markings shown on the workpiece which is supported on the bed or base of the machine;

Figure 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the work-piece, in this instance a shoe part, showing a typical design marked thereon;

Figure 6 is a view in top plan of still another form of workpiece, in this instance a shoe insole, and illustrating another typical form of marking or embossing which the apparatus of Figures 1 to 4 is adapted to perform;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in front elevation, of the adjustable control for adjusting the position of the workpieces according to their particular size and type;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in front elevation of the forward lefthand corner of the machine, having an arrangement as disclosed in Figure l, and more particularly illustrating the embossing or marking die lock control, by which the die may be locked in position on the movable head, or released so as to be removed therefrom; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail view in side elevation of the forward righthand corner of the apparatus, having an arrangement as illustrated in Figure 1, said view further illustrating the details of the die locking instrumentalities shown in Figure 8.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings,

According to the preferred embodiment of our invention, I designates the base or bed of the press, and there is provided on the rear side of the base a pair of laterally spaced bearing lugs 2, 2, which are preferably mounted so as to be vertically adjustable, as by means of the fastening bolts 3, 3 which pass through a vertically elongated slot 4 in each bearing lug, the bolts being threadedly received in suitable openings 5 formed in the rear wall of the base. Extending through the bearing lugs 2, 2, is a shaft or hinge pin 6, and upon this shaft is mounted the movable head of the press, which is generally designated I. The head I is provided on its rear edge with a pair of laterally spaced ears or lugs 8, 8, which are suitably apertured to receive the shaft 6 and to which the same are fixedly secured, as by means of the pins or dowels 9, 9. Encircling the shaft 6 adjacent the members 8, are a pair of coil springs l0, I0, each having one end anchored to the base I, as at II, II, and the other end anchored to the head I, as at I2, l2, the anchors being shown in the form of apertured lugs through which the respective spring ends are inserted. The springs are so tensioned as to normally urge the head I towards the open position illustrated in Figure 4, wherein the head is shown swung upwardly to a substantially vertical position. If desired, a suitable stop may be provided to limit the opening movement of the head so that it cannot inadvertently be moved beyond the open position shown in Figure 4. For practical purposes, the springs are of such strength that when the head I is in its open position, it can be closed by a relatively light pull forwardly and downwardly, say on the order of one pound pull. Of course, this may be varied, as desired, depending upon the size of the machine and the particular type of work which is being performed thereby. It is to be understood that the size of the press may be varied within comparatively wide limits. Where the workpieces are small, as in the case of shoe parts and the like, the press may be made large enough to emboss or otherwise mark several parts at one time, and this even without unduly increasing the Weight of the apparatus or the space occupied thereby. The compactness and especially light weight of the press are further marked advantages over those machines which have previously been used for such work.

The head I comprises a substantially rectangular hollow shell, which is provided on its top face with a multiplicity of ribs or fins I3, which have the dual function of strengthening the shell and radiating heat. The latter function will become more apparent as the description proceeds. Mounted within the head, is a block or slab M which is preferably composed of a material having both thermal as well as electrical insulating properties. An example of such material is the well known Transite, and we have found that the same is eminently suited for our purposes. The lower face of the block I4 is preferably recessed to receive an electrical heating unit, generally designated l5, said unit being shown in the form of a core of generally rectangular form, and which may be also composed of Transite, and about which is wound some suitable resistance material such as nichrome ribbon, only a few turns of which have been illustrated, as at IS. The heating unit I 5 is preferably covered by a sheet or cover II, which may also be composed of Transite, said cover being of substantially less thickness than the block I4, and primarily serving to protect the heating unit I5 against injury or damage.

The heating unit I5 is provided with suitable electrical conductors or leads I8, which extend to the outside of the head I so that the same may be conveniently connected with a suitable electrical power source or outlet (not shown), as will be obvious. the temperature of the heating unit, and consequently of the head I, we preferably provide a thermostat unit which may be of any desired type, and which is more or less diagrammatically illustrated at I9. The thermostat is preferably of an adjustable type, and designates a control shaft which extends through the top of the head i and is provided at its outer end with a control knob or handle 2| and pointer 22, the pointer coacting with suitable indicia 23 on the top face of the head, which indicia serves to indicate the range of temperature settings. The temperature range may be varied as desired but for practical purposes, we preferably provide an adjustment from 75 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, which we have found to be satisfactory for virtually all condi-- tions which would be commonly encountered in marking leather or the like.

The head I is provided at its forward edge with a handle 24, which is preferably of such length as to enable the same to be grasped by one or both hands when it is desired to manipulate the head in opening and closing the same, and the handle also is preferably of such a construction as will not become unduly heated and burn the operators hands. For this purpose, the handle may be provided with a rubber or composition grip, although other types of insulated or heat-resisting handles may be employed if preferred,

For the purpose of regulating closing movement, the tail 56 of the pawl strikes the abutment which is adjustably mounted, by

means of the bolt BI and vertically elongated slot 62, on the'base l. Upon engagement of the tail of the pawl with this abutment 60, a slight continued movement ofthe head towards its closed position will cause the pawl to be shifted longitudinally on the pivot 54, thereby causingthe ratchet wheel 5| to be rotated for a partial revolution, as will be obvious. Before the head reaches its fully closed position, the toothed end 55 of, the pawl 52 moves upwardly far enough so as to become disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5|-. Consequently, during the last part of the movement of the head towards its closed position, there is no rotative motion applied to the spool 44, and this is very important because if the rotation of the spool were continued until the very end of the closing movement of the head, the strip would very likely be torn in two or otherwise damaged so as to be rendered unfit forfurther use. As seen best in Figures 3 and 4,'the strip extends from spool 35 under and across the lower side of the head 1, and hence across the relief face of the die 25, to the spool 44, upon which latter spool the strip is wound, the feeding of the strip being produced by the'intermittent rotation imparted to the spool 44 near the end of each closing stroke of the head. When the head is opened, the pawl 52 moves away from the abutment 60, and the spring 5'! causes the pawl to automatically shift on the pivot to its position previously mentioned as the normal position, preparatory to the producing of the next rotative step of the spool 44 when the head is again closed.

It will be noted, particularly in Figure 3,'that the opposite ends of the head are recessed slightly, as at 63, where the strip 34 extends thereacross, and by reason of this arrangement, there is no danger of the strip being pinched between the head and base of the press when the head is closed. Moreover, the braking action imparted to the spools 35 and 44 serves to always maintain the r strip 34 taut, and hence perfectly fiat against the operative face of the die 25. The purpose of the vertical adjustment of the abutment 60 is to afford an adjustment of the ratchet wheel actuating stroke of the pawl 52 so that the intermittent feed of the strip across the underside of the head can be varied to a more or less degree, asdesired.

Passing now to the details of construction of the base I, and referring particularly to Figures 2, 3 and 4, there is provided a guide pattern 64,

which may be made of hard fiber or other suitable material, and upon which are arranged a series of studs 65, or the like, which define the proper position in which the work pieces should be placed so that the marks to be produced thereon will fall at their proper locations upon closing the head 1 down upon the work-pieces. In Figure 4, we have shown a typical shoe part, designated 66, placed upon the base or bed of the machine according to the position defined by the studs or posts of the guide pattern 64. Of course, it should be understood that the arrangement of the posts or studs 65 will vary according to the type and shape of the workpieces which are to be marked. The guide pattern 64 is preferably adjustable on the base I, inasmuch as it frequently is desired to produce the same markings or designs upon the same type of workpieces, but which are of different sizes. For instance, the particular shoe part designated 66 in Figure 4 may be considered as a typical part for menfs shoes, and there will be similar parts for ladies, young mens, misses and childrens shoes, of correspondingly smaller dimensions. Moreover, each class of shoe part, whether they be parts for mens, ladies, young mens, misses or childrens shoes, will have different sizes, according to the particular foot size. We have therefore provided an adjustment of the guide pattern 64 which may be effected in a very simple manner, to accommodate the shoe parts in the various classifications, and the various sizes over the normal range for each classification. This adjustment is in the nature of a shiftable mounting for the guide pattern 64, by means of which the guide pattern may be bodily moved rearwardly or forwardly on the bed of the press or marking machine. 61 designates a screw shaft which extends through the base I from front to back, and mounted on said screw shaft is 'a yoke 68, the opposite arms 69, 69 of which extend vertically upwardly through elongated slots in the top 2 wall 10 of the base. Secured to the upper extremities of each arm 69, as by screws H, is a plate or block 12, which is recessed in an elongated recess 13 in the upper face of the wall 10. Each plate or block 12 is provided with one or more vertically disposed studs or pins 14, which project upwardly slightly above the wall 10, and are adapted to be received in suitable openings provided therefor adjacent the opposite ends of the guide pattern 64.

The screw shaft 61 is extended forwardly through the front wall 15 of the base I, and mounted on the outer end of the shaft is a knob 15, by means of which the screw shaft may be rotatably manipulated. The shaft is provided 1 adjacent its outer end with an elongated slot 371, and a pin 18 extends transversely through the knob and slot 11. The front face of the knob 16 is recessed, as at 19, and a screw is mounted in said recess, and is threadedly connccted with the outer end of the shaft 61. Within the recess 19 andencircling the screw 80 is a coil spring 8i, having one end bearing against the base of the recess 19, and its opposite end bearing against the inner face of the head of the screw 8, thereby normally urging the knob towards the front wall 15 of the base, or in other words, urging the pin towards the inner end of the elongated slot 11. The knob 16 carries a pointer 82, and the pointer is provided with a rearwardly projecting pin 83, which is adapted to be received in any of the various apertures 84 arranged in an arc adjacent to the knob, in the front face of the wall 15. There is preferably one aperture 84 for each setting of the guide vided on the front wall 15 of the base I, and said indicia is preferably arranged in graduated scales corresponding to the different classes of shoes, that is, mens, ladies, young mens, misses and childrens shoes, the graduations denoting the foot size in each class. The shifting of the guide pattern 64, responsive to rotation of the screw shaft 61, is preferably such that the movement of the guide pattern is in a forward direction as the sizes of the shoe parts progressively decrease. position of the guide pattern 64 is preferably the position for the largest shoe size, that is, the largest foot size of the men's type shoes. As viewed in Figure 7, rotation of the pointer 82 in a counter-clockwise direction will produce a for- In other words, the extreme rearward ward shifting movement of the guide pattern 64, and this holds true for each of the various classifications represented on the different scales. It will be noted that the foot sizes, designated numerically on the scales progressively decrease in a counter-clockwise direction on each scale. When the desired adjustment of the position of the guide pattern 64 has been eifected through the manipulation of the knob 16, the adjustment -will not inadvertently or accidentally change by reason of the interlocking action of the detent pin 83'.

Operation In the manufacture of shoes, gloves, and the like, it is customary to first cut out the pieces of leather, or Whatever the material may be, to the desired size and shape, according to the requirements of the article, after which these pieces, which for convenience we have termed workpieces, are marked to indicate the extent of overlap which is to be made with a contiguous component part. Also, the outlines for ornamental stitching' and the like are similarly marked. By our improved construction, we are likewise able to emboss, impress, or otherwise suitably mark the workpieces with various designs, which may be in the form of ornamental designs; and/or merely the name or trade-mark of the'manufacturer, the shoe size, pattern number, etc.

In Figures 4 and 5, we have illustrated a typical shoe part, designated 66, which has been marked as a typical example of ornamentation, and it will be readily understood that such marks maybe varied as desired, not only for ornamental purposes, but for the purposes of producing guide lines to facilitate the assemblage of the shoe parts, and to serve as guides for the stitching by which the shoe parts are joined together, or other stitching which is frequently employed for ornamental purposes. In producing the particular design illustrated, the marking die 25, having thedesign 2'! formed thereon in relief, is mounted on the head by inserting the rear edge of the die in the groove or channel 28, and then rotating the shaft 29, by means of the knob 3|, to bring the shoulder 30 underneath the forward edge of the die, whereby to firmly support the same against the lower side of the head. Upon rotation of the shaft 29 to the die supporting position, the shaft is locked against inadvertent or accidental release of the die by tightening the set screw 32 through means of the knob 33.

Having selected the workpiece locating die or guide pattern 64, corresponding to the particular workpiece 66, which is to be marked, the same is placed upon the base I with the pins 14 received in the openings provided therefor in the locator or guide pattern '64. The position of this locator or guide pattern may be adjusted from front to back, according to the type and foot size ofthe shoe part which is to be'marked, such adjustment being effected by rotating the knob 16 to bring the pointer 82 into register with the corresponding calibration of the indicia 85. In performing this adjustment, the knob 16 is initially pulled forwardly against the action of the spring 8|, thereby withdrawing the detent 83 sothat the knob and screw shaft 61 are free to be rotated, and when the desired setting is attained, the knob is released and the detent 83 is urged into the aperture 84 which corresponds to-this particularsetting, thereby preventing the locator or guide pattern 64 from being inada'eliet pattern of the die '25. ing is suitable for certain kinds of workpieces, and even though the press is unheated. Howvertently or accidentally displaced. It will be understood that the rotation of the screw shaft tI-"eifects a-movement of the yoke 88 forwardly or rearwardly, according to the direction in die or guide pattern 64 so as to lie in the posi- -tion defined by the studs'65 or other workpiece locating instrumentalities, and the head i pulled down to its closed position, bringing the relief pattern 21' of the die25 directly into engagement with the workpiece. The downward pressure exerte'd upon the head in closing the same causes the relief pattern 21- to-be impressed in the workpiece 66, and thus produces markings on the workpiece in the nature of impressions or indentations, corresponding to the configuration of the This type of markever, we have found that by heating the die 25,

the marking of the workpieces is greatly facilitated, particularly in that the markings will become more pronounced and more discernible. Therefore, where it is desired that the markings be pronounced and readily discernible, the

heating unit I5 is energized, and the die 25 brought to the temperature which is most suitable for the performance of the marking operations, according to the particular nature of the material beingmar-ked. In the case of leathers, some leather-s are of a tougher texture than others, -and hence the temperature should be ad- 'J'ust'ed, bymeans of the thermostat control 2!, to a relatively high degree. The various temperatures required under various conditions of operation may be readily determined with a little experience in the use of the-apparatus. Where the markings are tobe produced with the aid of heat, the heating unit I5 is preferably energized before' the apparatus is to be put into use, so as to give sufiicient time for the die 25 to attain the propertemperature. The arrangement and construction of the head 1, as dis. closedh'erein, has been found to be very efiicient, and the heat isconserved and utilized to great advantage, making the cost of operation practically negligible. Moreover, the temperature maybe very quickly brought up to the desired degree, and the ribbed construction of the top face ofthe head 1 keeps the exposed surface reasonably cool, thereby materially contributing to the convenience and comfort of the operator.

It will, of course, be understood that instead of mar-king only one workpiece at a time, several workpieces of the same or different shapes and types, or a complete set of parts of a shoe, glove, or other type of unit, may be marked at the same time, the die 25 and the locator or guide pattern 64 being modified accordingly.

Quite frequently, it is preferable to mark the workpieces in colors, and where this is desired, 1

in a broad sense, and is intended to embrace any strip or sheet of material which carries some coloring medium. Moreover, the color may be any color, and is not limited to merely black or blue, which are the more widely known colors of carbon paper. White, pink, orange, gold, and many other colors, may be employed as desired, and the particular color or colors selected are preferably varied according to the color of the material of the workpieces, and according to the desired degree of prominence of the markings.

In the use of the strip 34, the rolls 35 and 44 are mounted on their supporting axles or pins at the respectively opposite ends of the head I, and the tension of the springs 39 and 41 is so adjusted, by means of the set screws 4| and 49, as to produce a substantial frictional contact between the spools and the axles. This frictional contact serves to maintain a uniform tension on the strip 34 as it is intermittently fed, step by step, from the roller 35 to the roller 44, the

portion of the strip intermediate the rollers extending across the lower face or relief side of the die 25, and closely adjacent thereto. When the strip 34 is so mounted on the head, the closing of the head results in the transfer of color from the strip 34 to the workpiece 68, according to the relief design of the die 25, it being understood that the strip 34 is interposed between the die and the workpiece 66. In other words, the transfer of color to the workpiece occurs only at those points where the strip 34 is pressed against the workpiece by the relief pattern 21 of the die 25. The resulting marks on the workpiece will accordingly be clean-cut and uniform, and blurring or smudging is eliminated, or at least, reduced to a negligible amount. If only a light pressure is applied to the head upon closing the same, the transfer of color from the strip 34 to the workpiece can be effected in the nature of a purely printing operation, and without the production of any material impressions in the workpieces. Such use is best suited where the markings on the workpieces are to be subsequently removed, and by the proper selection of the coloring medium, virtually all traces of the markings can be removed if such is desired. However, the permanency of the markings can be greatly increased by the impressing or embossing action of the die 25 on the workpieces, simultaneously with the transfer of the coloring medium from the strip 34 to the workpieces. Moreover, We have found that the colors may be more or less permanently fixed by the variation in the degree of heat applied to the die 25; that is to say, the higher the temperature of the die, the more permanent the colored markings are fixed in the work pieces, and the lower the temperature of the die, the less permanent the colored markings are fixed. Acccordingly, if the markings produced on the workpieces are to be in the nature of permanent ornamental designs, or devices or characters designating the source and character of the workpieces, such markings are preferably produced with the aid of a comparatively high degree of heat.

In Figure 5, the lines of the design 21 on the workpiece 66 may be considered as guide markings for ornamental stitching, and these lines may be produced either in the form of colored marks, with or without the formation of corresponding depressions or grooves in the workpiece, as desired. However, when the lines are depressed as Well as colored, they stand out prominently and can be more readily discerned. Moreover, a depressed line may be more easily followed institching the workpiece. The small circles of the design 21' represent imitation perforations, and their prominence is greatly enhanced by the combination of the coloring and embossing of the design, as with the aid of the carbon or copying strip 34.

Figure 6 shows still another form of workpiece 66', such workpiece having the form of an insole or the like, and the design 21" thereon is typical of the application of a manufacturer's name to such'part. Inasmuch as such a design should be applied in as permanent a manner as is practical, the combination embossing and coloring operation, as may be performed with our improved marking apparatus, can be employed to great advantage. The impression of the design 21", and the fixing of the color is greatly facilitated through the effect of the heat in the manner previously described. It will be readily understood from reference to Figure 6 that our improved marking apparatus is also equally adapted to the marking of bat bands, glove parts, and other workpieces of a similar character, which are more nearly of the configuration of the particular workpiece illustrated in this view.

Where the workpieces are of considerable length, we have found that the same may be readily accommodated in our marking apparatus or press by inclining the forward portion of the bed or base, downwardly, as at 86, so as to leave a space between the same and the lower front edge 8'! of the head 1, as best seen in Figure 2. With such an arrangement, space is afforded for the ends 66 of an elongated workpiece, and without interfering with the marking operations upon the portion of the workpiece which is disposed between the die 25 and the bed of the press.

It will be understood that after each closing operation of the head, resulting in the marking of the workpiece or workpieces, the head is swung open to the position illustrated in Figure 4, to enable the marked workpiece or workpieces to be removed and be replaced by a new workpiece or set of workpieces, the marking of which will be performed by the next closing operation of the head. The springs l0 normally urge the head towards its open position, and the tension of the springs is preferably such that only a comparatively little effort is required to close the head. It will be readily apparent that the press is simple in construction, may be quickly and easily operated, and requires very little attention on the part of the operator.

As previously mentioned, the hinge brackets 2, 2 which are mounted on the base I by means of the bolts 3, 3, are vertically adjustable by reason of the elongated slots 4, 4. Such adjustment permits the use of dies 25 of various thickness, and similarly, variation in the thickness of different workpieces can be accommodated. It is important that the die 25 be approximately parallel to the surface of the workpiece which is to be marked when the head I is closed and the die is brought into its marking position.

By intermittently or progressively feeding the strip 34 over the operative face of the die 25, a substantially fresh surface of the strip is maintained over the relief at all times, so that the color medium which is transferred from the strip to the workpiece will always be substantially uniform and distinct. As the strip is wound from one roll onto the other, the rolls may be interchanged and the same strip. consequently used several times, as will be obvious.

The term marking die is used herein in its broad sense, and is intended to cover adie for marking by producing impressions in the workpieces, or by printing upon the workpieces without producing any substantial depressions or-by combinations of both.

While the specific details of construction have beenherein shown and described; the invention is not confined thereto, as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is new and desire to procure by Letters Patent isl. A device of the class described, comprising a base member, a head member movable towards and away from said base member, a marking die carried by one of said members, a workpiece locating die adjustably mounted on the other member, and means for adjusting said workpiece locating die, said last named means including a screw shaft, and a yoke member threadedly engaged with said screw shaft and having oppositely extending arms, each arm being provided with means interengaging the work piece locating die adjacent one end thereof.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a base member, a head member movable towards and away from said base member, a marking die carried by one of said members, a workpiece locating die adjustably mounted on the other member, means for adjusting said workpiece locating die, said last named means including a screw shaft, a yoke member threadedly engaged with said screw shaft and having oppositely extending arms, each arm being provided with means interengaging the workpiece locating die adjacent one end thereof, detent means for releasably locking said screw shaft, said detent means including a knob mounted on said screw shaft so as to permit shifting of the same axially while being prevented from rotating relatively to said shaft, a pin mounted upon said knob and adapted to be received in various recesses arranged adjacent to said knob, there being one recess for each position of adjustment of the workpiece locating die, and means for yieldably urging said knob in one direction on said screw shaft whereby to normally urge the pin into a cooperating recess.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a base member and a head member hingedly connected together at one edge, a marking die, said marking die having the form of a plate provided with a relief on one face thereof, means for releasably mounting said marking die on said head member, said last named means including a shaft rotatably mounted in said head member and having an abutment shoulder for engaging the die plate along one marginal edge, and said head having a recess therein for receiving the opposite edge of said die plate.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a base member and a head member hingedly connected together at one edge, a marking die, said marking die having the form of a plate provided with a relief on one face thereof, means for releasably mounting said marking die on said head member, said last named means including a shaft rotatably mounted in said head member and having an abutment shoulder for engaging the die plate along one marginal edge, said head having a recess therein for receiving the opposite edge of said die plate, and means forlocking said shaft against rotation.

mounted'acrossthe lower side of said'head mem-' ber, a flexible strip carrying a coloring medium extended across the operative-face of said marking die, means for intermittently feeding said strip across said marking die incident to relative closing movement-of saidhead member respecting said base'm-ember, said last named-means including a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on said head member at opposite sides thereof, and about which said strip is wound, a ratchet wheel coacting with one of said roller members so as to rotate the same incident to rotation of the ratchet wheel, a pawl pivotally mounted on said head and coacting with said ratchet wheel, said pawl being longitudinally shiftable on its. pivotal mounting, spring means interconnecting said pawl and said head in such manner as to normally rock the pawl on its pivot towards engagement with the ratchet wheel, and also serving to normally shift the pawl longitudinally in one direction, and abutment means mounted upon said base member and engageable by said pawl near the end of the closing movement of the head, whereby to shift the pawl longitudinally in the opposite direction and impart a rotation to the ratchet wheel for a fractional part of one turn.

6. A device of the class described, comp-rising a base member and a head member hingedly connected together at one edge, a marking die mount-ed across the lower side of said head member, a flexible strip carrying a coloring medium extended across the operative face of said marking die, means for intermittently feeding said strip across said marking die incident to relative closing movement of said head member respecting said base member, means for maintaining a substantially uniform tension in said strip during the strip feeding movement, said means including a pair of rollers mounted upon said head at opposite sides thereof, and upon which said strip is wound, a plurality of stub axles, one for each end of each roller, one of said axles for each roller being axially shiftable, and each axle having a tapered end adapted to be received in an aperture in the end of the roller, and means for yieldably urging each of the axially shifta'ble axles towards its roller whereby to produce a firm frictional engagement between the tapered end of the axle and the roller.

'7. A device of the class described, comprising a base member and a head member hingedly connected together at one edge, a marking die mounted across the lower side of said head member, a flexible strip carrying a coloring medium extended across the operative face of said marking die, means for intermittently feeding said strip across said marking die incident to rela tive closing movement of said head member respecting said base member, means for maintaining a substantially uniform tension in said strip during the strip feeding movement, said means including a pair of rollers mounted upon said head at opposite sides thereof, and upon which said strip is wound, a plurality of stub axles, one for each end of each roller, one of said axles for each roller being axially shiftable, and each axle having a tapered end adapted to be received in an aperture in the end of the roller, means for yieldably urging each of the axially shiftable axles towards its roller whereby to produce a firm frictional engagement between the tapered end of the axle and the roller, and means for adjusting said 'last named yieldable means.

8. A device of the class described, comprising a base member a pair of spaced bearing lugs having vertically elongated slots therein, fastening means extending through said slots for securing said bearing lugs to one side of said base member, a head member associated with said base member and provided with a pair of spaced in bearing lugs at one side thereof, a hinge pin passing through each of the bearing lugs aforesaid for hingedly connecting said head member and base member together along one edge, and a marking die carried by one of said members, the vertically elongated slots in the first mentioned bearing lugs permitting vertical adjustment of the head member respecting the base member to accommodate marking dies of various thicknesses.

SAUL KAUFFMAN. GEORGE G. DOSS. 

